Resurrection Life in Christ

 “And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat. And her parents were astonished: but he charged them that they should tell no man what was done.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭8‬:‭55‬-‭56‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Dr. Luke records, “Instantly her spirit returned to her body and she stood up. Jesus directed her stunned parents to give her something to eat and ordered them to tell no one what just happened.”  In this chapter, Luke records the four great miracles of Jesus Christ: over nature, for He stilled the wind and the waves; over demons, for He cast out a mob of evil spirits; over disease, for He healed the haemorrhaging woman; and over death, for He restored the life of this twelve year old girl.  At that time Jesus told them not to tell what He had done, for He still had to be sacrificed at the Cross to free all humanity from sin, for which He eventually died for.  The greatest miracle was when Jesus rose from the dead and then gave the resurrection power by His Holy Spirit, to His disciples at Pentecost.  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.  Amen!

Sacrifice of Worship with Righteousness

 “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: But the prayer of the upright is his delight. The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: But he loveth him that followeth after righteousness.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭15‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Wisdom from above says, “It is despicable to the Lord when people use the worship of the Almighty as a cloak for their sin, but every prayer of the righteous is pleasing to His heart. The Lord detests the lifestyle of the wicked, but He loves those who pursue purity.”  The sacrifice of the wicked is worshipping God with a wicked heart, only to hide sin.  Our yielded hearts must be the sacrifice we offer to God.  Jesus became the sacrificial Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world because in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.  Our hearts become yielded when we examine ourselves as we partake of the bread and drink of the cup of communion in the new covenant and sacrifice our heart to Him Who perfects us in purity to manifest Himself to the world through us.  To worship God casually and with distractions is the sacrifice of a wicked heart that the Lord detests.  Let’s be those who reverence Him even when we are chastened by the Lord, so that His mercy and grace enables us to practice righteousness in our daily lives.  Amen!

Worshipping Christ At His Feet

 “and stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭7‬:‭38‬-‭39‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Dr. Luke writes, “Broken and weeping, she covered His Feet with the tears that fell from her face. She kept crying and drying His Feet with her long hair. Over and over she kissed Jesus’ Feet. Then, as an act of worship, she opened her flask and anointed His Feet with her costly perfume. When Simeon saw what was happening, he thought, “This Man can’t be a true prophet. If He were really a prophet, He would know what kind of sinful woman is touching Him.”  Six times we find someone at Jesus’s Beautiful Feet: the sinful woman here who poured out her worship and tears at Jesus’s Feet; the demonised man who worshipped at Jesus’s Feet; Jairus who fell at Jesus’s Feet pleading for a miracle for his daughter; Mary who sat at Jesus’s Feet and received His Word; the healed leper who fell at Jesus’s Feet in deep gratitude; those who worshipped Jesus at His resurrection when He showed them His Hands and Feet.  Simon the host here thought Jesus should have known the sinfulness of the woman, but Simon should have known the love of the One next to him, Who was ready to forgive and restore.  Religion focuses on the sinfulness of a person, but faith sees the glory of the One Who forgives and heals.  Let’s just believe and receive our miracle from out Lord and Saviour Who heals and forgives.  Amen!

The Royal Law - the Greatest Power

 “He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: But he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭14‬:‭21‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Wisdom from above says, “Haven’t you noticed how evil schemers always wander astray? But kindness and truth come to those who make plans to be pure in all their ways.”  The followers of evil don’t understand mercy and faith, but evil speaking harms you and makes you sick.  Love is the royal law in Scripture, to love our neighbour as ourselves, and be kind and truthful to them.  Jesus Himself said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”  In this world where hate and cruelty is rampant, the Body of Christ, the Church, is called to obey Jesus and to walk in the power of love, mercy and kindness.  Without the Holy Spirit, to obey Jesus in this is impossible.  But Jesus has shown through the Cross to show love to others is life changing, transformative and the only power that makes us victorious.  With the Holy Spirit we can obey Jesus and so fulfil the royal law of love and bring many sons to glory.  Let’s show mercy and kindness in giving the glorious Gospel of Christ, it is the only power of God unto salvation.  Hallelujah!

Poor in Pride

 “And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭6‬:‭20‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Dr. Luke writes, “Having concluded His healing of the multitudes, Jesus lifted up His eyes and spoke to His followers, To be reduced to the most extreme state of poverty, does not define you.  Disaster is not the fruit of fate or karma (performance based religion).  The blessing of knowing that the Kingdom of God belongs to you personally (it is oozing from you), is the essence of your well-being and identity.”  God requires us to be poor in pride and not imagine us to be more than we are, thinking highly of ourselves.  The concept of fate has been predominant in most religions as well as in Greek and Roman cultures and is the driving force of performance based philosophies and religions, relying on self and pride.  Lucifer was an angel closest to the Presence of God, beautiful and a worshipper.  But pride and imagining himself to be like God, led to his fall to become satan.  Since then he has deceived people against God.  Jesus came to set it right by proclaiming that being poor in pride is the way to God’s Kingdom.  The Almighty All-Powerful God humbled Himself to be born as a helpless Babe and then to become the Sacrifice as the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the world.  Let’s believe in the simplicity of this truth and be poor in pride.  Amen!

Raise Your Children with Godly Values

 “A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: And the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. Much food is in the tillage of the poor: But there is that is destroyed for want of judgment. He that spareth his rod hateth his son: But he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭13‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Wisdom from above says, “The benevolent man leaves an inheritance that endures to his children’s children, but the wealth of the wicked is treasured up for the righteous. The lovers of God will live a long life and get to enjoy their wealth, but the ungodly will suddenly perish. If you withhold correction and punishment from your children, you demonstrate a lack of true love. So prove your love and be prompt to punish them.”  Many of us have taken for granted the legacy that came to us from our parents and grandparents with a sense of entitlement but it comes from God.  Those who don’t find the way of life destroy many years of wealth and some are utterly destroyed.  Corporal punishment was common when parents disciplined their children with love in their hearts wanting their best to learn godly values and clean living.  Unfortunately today the system looks for excuses like mental health issues to excuse parents from their responsibility so that children grow up to be irresponsible in society.  When it is a genuinely medical issue, the medical world is there to help, but in general children grow up to be indisciplined with a huge sense of entitlement which is a terrible combination.  If we love our children, discipline is necessary.  Amen!

Jesus Christ Alone Awakens the Mind

 “And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭5‬:‭31‬-‭32‬ ‭KJV‬‬

As Luke recorded, “Jesus overheard their complaining and said, “Who goes to the doctor for a cure? Those who are well or those who are sick? I have not come to call the ‘righteous,’ but to call those who know they are sinners and bring them to repentance.”  Sickness is a form of evil in God’s eyes.  Jesus came to heal the “evil” or sicknesses of earth.  He didn’t come to re-define the self-righteous but those who realise they couldn’t get it right by themselves.  Jesus came to awaken ‘sinners’ to recognise their identity through Him with a complete change of mind.  Sin is to live out of context with God’s image and likeness in mankind, to behave out of tune with God.  It is only through the Lord Jesus Christ we can have an awakening of the mind and a realignment of one’s reasoning.  That’s why the preaching of the Gospel is so vital, that people realise it’s not self-righteousness (trading our deeds to please God) that transforms people but just allowing God’s Word to cleanse and transform us.  Amen!

The Life-Giving Word of Encouragement

 “The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: But the slothful shall be under tribute. Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: But a good word maketh it glad.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭12‬:‭24‬-‭25‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Wisdom from above says, “If you want to reign in life, don’t sit on your hands. Instead, work hard at doing what’s right, for the slacker will end up working to make someone else succeed. Anxious fear brings depression, but a life-giving word of encouragement can do wonders to restore joy to the heart.”  Proverbs not only means a wise saying but it means “to rule, to reign in power, to take dominion”.  The one who reigns must stop worrying and think instead of what brings gladness.  Our focus must never be on what we can’t change but on the everlasting joy we have in Christ.  Sometimes we have to find the  life-giving Word of encouragement rising up in our own hearts.  This is the secret of finding perpetual encouragement by the Word that lives in us.  The Word that our Lord Jesus Christ speaks to us is Spirit and Life.  Let’s abide in the Word and the Word dwell in us.  Amen!

The In-Christ Anointing

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, Because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, And recovering of sight to the blind, To set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭4‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭KJV‬‬

As Luke recorded, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, and He has anointed Me to be hope for the poor, healing for the brokenhearted, and new eyes for the blind, and to preach to prisoners, ‘You are set free!’ I have come to share the message of Jubilee, for the time of God’s great acceptance has begun.”  This is what Isaiah had prophesied of the Messiah hundreds of years ago.  The Anointed Christ is the Good News or the Gospel.  For those who have identified with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection and are in Christ, this same anointing is the true measure of our lives.  It is not our mental or muscle efforts that produces results, it is only the anointing.  This in-Christ anointing is the glad tidings of the Year of Jubilee of opening the blind eyes to change the perspective and look upwards and see Christ; to bring freedom to those in trauma and hurts through deliverance, shutting that door with forgiveness and remission of sins; and knowing that we are accepted in the Beloved.  This in-Christ Anointing breaks every yoke of bondage and we release it to a needy world.  Amen!

Wisdom for the Humble to Succeed

 “A false balance is abomination to the LORD: But a just weight is his delight. When pride cometh, then cometh shame: But with the lowly is wisdom.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Wisdom from above says, “Dishonest business practice is something that Yahweh truly hates. But it pleases Him when we apply the right standards of measurement. When you act with presumption, convinced that you’re right, don’t be surprised if you fall flat on your face! But humility leads to wisdom.”  A false balance is deception when we try to measure up to God with our own works and performance.  But the Perfect Stone is Jesus Christ Who is the legitimate weight of balance.  He has been promised to “the one whose heart is open, let him listen carefully to what the Spirit is presently saying to all the churches. To everyone who is victorious I will let him feast on the hidden manna and give him a shining White Stone. And written upon the White Stone is inscribed his new name, known only to the one who receives it.”  Jesus is the shining White and Perfect Stone given to the humble who are willing to receive from the Spirit of God the wisdom that comes from the Mind of Christ which is in direct opposition to the mindset of self-effort.  But the proud who are presumptuous, and think they know everything, can’t get the Mind of Christ and the wisdom that comes with it, and they come a cropper.   Amen!